How to stay at your church for 25 years (Episode 28)

Youth Ministry Sherpas: Coast To Coast

Let’s face it – youth ministry is hard. It can be fraught with frustrations, doomed by discouragement, and crushed by conflict. We’ve all felt like quitting. We’ve all felt like the grass has to be greener at the church lawn down the street. The most recent data from the Youth Worker Compensation Survey shows that the average youth pastor stays at a church less than 5 years, and leaves youth ministry around year 10.**https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/resources/compensation-youth-pastor-2024/
But what if we persevere? What if we find ways to survive the past, thrive in the moment, and high five the future?
On today’s episode, Brock and Steve talk about longevity in youth ministry. In a vulnerable and encouraging conversation, we talk about the things that almost drove us out, and how we found ways to commit to staying in it for the long haul. Brock has been a youth pastor for over 30 years at a variety of churches. Steve has been at his church for 25 years. What have we learned about sticking it out, and what did we gain on the other side?
This was the reason this show was created in the first place, and longevity has been a frequent topic of conversation, but it’s one we need to have again and again.
It was so good, we did it twice. That, and that fact that Steve was tired from a retreat and forgot to hit the record button.
Anyway, we truly hope this is helpful to someone who is discouraged and thinking of quitting.
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